Magnetospheric sciences have, to date, relied on the study of isolated events, such as major magnetic storms. It is, however, highly desirable to synthesize the magnetosphere as a whole so that the relationship of such events to the entire geospace environment can be determined. Several large-scale computer models of the magnetosphere exist, but because of lack of sufficient observed data, they are based on assumptions which may or may not be correct.
Providing sufficient data to constrain the computer models in accordance with observed reality requires dense sampling of the magnetosphere on a global scale, as well as the transmission for analysis of huge quantities of digital data (on the order of 60 Gbytes per day). Such sampling presents a serious problem because the magnetosphere must be sampled at discrete locations by hundreds of satellites spaced, about 1 R.sub.E apart, but in critical regions, as little as 1-km from each other. The sampled data must then be transmitted to ground stations at a rate of 1 megabits per second. This is unfeasible both technically and economically with current satellite and telemetry technology.